SAN NARCISO, Calif. (Bennington Vale Evening Transcript) -- The nation’s oldest Roman Catholic newspaper has riled gay rights groups by posting an editorial claiming that the devil may be responsible for homosexual attraction. The paper, which is run by the Archdiocese of Boston, concluded that “scientific evidence of how same-sex attraction most likely may be created provides a credible basis for a spiritual explanation that indicts the devil.” But religious LGBT advocacy groups condemned the piece as an extreme position promoting ignorance and bigotry, violating “a fundamental belief of our faith; that all people reflect the Divine image and are beloved by God.” They also found it hypocritical.

The publisher was questioned about the highly publicized cases of sexual abuse against children within the Church, and asked why that behavior was not also addressed as influenced by the devil.

The author explained, “We are taught in the Bible to love children. For instance, in Mark 10:13, we are told, ‘Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them.’ It also says, ‘And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.’ The Bible, to some extent, is meant to be interpreted. Accordingly, some priests make the case that laying their hands upon children is a path to divinity. One can’t say definitively that they’re incorrect. Even the name ‘pedophile’ means ‘loving children.’ But there’s nothing in that book about the Lord’s tolerance for same sex diddling and sodomy. Not one mention of it. So, we must assume it’s the work of the devil, since God refuses to acknowledge it.”